David Williams is the birth name of one of Britain’s most recognisable entertainers, the comedian, actor and children’s author known to the world as David Walliams. If you searched for that name hoping to find the man behind Little Britain, the long-serving Britain’s Got Talent judge and the author of Gangsta Granny, you are in the right place. The two names belong to the same person: Williams is the name he was born with, and Walliams is the stage name he adopted early in his acting career. This guide explains the name story and traces his journey from sketch comedy to bestselling children’s books.
Who Is David Williams?
He is an English comedian, actor, writer and television personality. Most audiences first met him as one half of the comedy duo behind Little Britain, alongside Matt Lucas. A second career as a children’s novelist later made him one of the bestselling British authors of his generation, his books frequently compared to the work of Roald Dahl.
The name is his real one. When he joined the actors’ union Equity, another member was already registered under it, so he changed the spelling of his surname to Walliams for professional use. The most complete information about his biography, books and television work is found under the Walliams spelling.
David Williams Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full birth name | David Edward Williams |
| Professional name | David Walliams |
| Date of birth | 20 August 1971 |
| Age (as of November 2026) | 55 |
| Birthplace | Wimbledon, London, England |
| Occupations | Actor, comedian, writer, television personality |
| Best known for | Little Britain, Britain’s Got Talent, children’s books |
| Honour | OBE, appointed in 2017 |
Early Life and Education
Williams was born at St Teresa’s Maternity Hospital in Wimbledon, in the London Borough of Merton. His father, Peter Williams, worked as an engineer for London Transport, and his mother, Kathleen Williams, worked as a laboratory technician. He grew up in Banstead, Surrey, and attended Reigate Grammar School.
From 1989 to 1992 he studied drama at the University of Bristol, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. It was during university holidays in 1990 that he performed with the National Youth Theatre, where he met Matt Lucas, the collaborator who would shape the rest of his career.
How the Name Became David Walliams
The spelling change is one of the most searched details of his biography, and the explanation is straightforward. When he joined Equity, the British actors’ trade union, the name David Williams was already taken by another member. Union rules require a unique professional name, so he altered the spelling of his surname to Walliams. The new spelling stuck, and it is the name on his books, his television credits and his OBE citation.
Search results for the name can therefore look confusing, because they also return academics, sportspeople and other professionals who share it, including a former NFL wide receiver. None of those people is the comedian. The clearest way to confirm you have found the right person is to look for the Little Britain connection, the children’s books or the Britain’s Got Talent judging role.
Little Britain and the Matt Lucas Partnership
Walliams and Lucas first developed their double act on radio, where Little Britain began as a BBC Radio 4 series, before moving to television in 2003. Its format was simple: recurring characters, each with a catchphrase, visiting the same situations week after week. Characters such as Lou and Andy became household names, and the show’s catchphrases entered everyday conversation.
The television run is usually dated 2003 to 2006, with live tours and a US version on HBO from 2008. At its peak the show drew audiences of around 10 million viewers in the UK, won BAFTA awards for Best Comedy Series in 2004 and 2005, and made its two stars famous on both sides of the Atlantic. The pair followed it with the airport mockumentary Come Fly with Me in 2010 and 2011.
Looking back, the show is now viewed more critically. In June 2020, streaming services including Netflix, BritBox, NOW TV and BBC iPlayer removed it because some sketches used blackface and stereotypes. Both stars have acknowledged that some of the material would not be made today.
Britain’s Got Talent: A Decade on the Judging Panel
In 2012, Walliams joined the judging panel of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, staying in the role for a decade until 2022. The show introduced him to a much broader audience than sketch comedy ever had, as the warm, funny judge who often championed unusual acts.
He left in 2022 after reports about derogatory remarks he had made about contestants during recordings, and a legal dispute that was settled in 2023.
A Career as a Children’s Author
The most remarkable chapter of his career began in 2008, when he signed a contract with HarperCollins to publish children’s books. His debut novel, The Boy in the Dress, illustrated by Quentin Blake, was released on 1 November 2008, and it established the themes that would run through his writing: kindness, outsiders, unlikely friendships and standing up to bullies.
What followed was one of the great commercial runs in modern British children’s publishing. Mr Stink arrived in 2009, Billionaire Boy in 2010 and Gangsta Granny in 2011, many of them illustrated by Tony Ross. His novels have been translated into more than 50 languages, and reported worldwide sales vary by source, from 37 million to more than 50 million copies. By any measure the scale is enormous, and his books are regularly compared to those of Roald Dahl for their mix of humour, heart and grotesque villains.
Several of his stories have been adapted for television, including Gangsta Granny, Mr Stink, Billionaire Boy and The Boy in the Dress, turning his books into a household brand in Britain, with stage versions and school reading lists following.
Best Children’s Books by David Walliams
| Book | Year | What it is about |
|---|---|---|
| The Boy in the Dress | 2008 | A boy who loves football and dresses challenges school rules and expectations. |
| Mr Stink | 2009 | A lonely girl befriends a homeless man and hides him in her garden shed. |
| Billionaire Boy | 2010 | The richest boy in the country learns that money cannot buy friendship. |
| Gangsta Granny | 2011 | A bored boy discovers his granny is an international jewel thief. |
| Ratburger | 2012 | A girl and her pet rat take on a villainous burger-van owner. |
| Demon Dentist | 2013 | A sinister new dentist arrives in town with a terrifying secret. |
| Awful Auntie | 2014 | An orphaned girl must outwit her greedy aunt to save her home. |
| Grandpa’s Great Escape | 2015 | A boy helps his Spitfire-pilot grandpa, who is living with dementia. |
| The Midnight Gang | 2016 | Children on a hospital ward sneak out at night to make wishes come true. |
| Bad Dad | 2017 | A boy helps his father, a getaway driver, clear his name. |
Other Television Work
He also created and starred in the BBC sitcom Big School (2013–2014), playing chemistry teacher Keith Church, starred as Tommy Beresford in the BBC Agatha Christie drama Partners in Crime (2015), and wrote and starred in the sketch series Walliams & Friend.
Awards and Recognition
Career honours include:
- BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Series for Little Britain in 2004 and 2005.
- BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Performance, recognising his work with Matt Lucas.
- An International Emmy Award for comedy, awarded to Little Britain in 2007.
- Appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours, for services to charity and the arts.
- Several of his novels reaching number one in the UK.
Personal Life
Walliams was married to Dutch model Lara Stone from 2010 to 2015, and the couple have a son together. He has generally kept his family life private. What he has discussed publicly includes his experience of depression and his mental health, subjects he has spoken about in interviews in the hope of encouraging others to seek help.
He has also spoken publicly about receiving an autism diagnosis in his early fifties. Celebrity net worth estimates for him vary wildly, from around $25 million to more than $100 million, and none comes from a verified public source, so this article states no figure.
Recent Developments in 2025 and 2026
The most recent chapter is also the most sensitive, and it is reported here only from published news reports. In December 2025, HarperCollins ended its publishing relationship with Walliams after an internal investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviour towards junior female staff. He has denied the allegations. Reports in 2026 said the publisher would no longer sell or reprint his older books, and in September 2026 it was reported that it had withdrawn his entire back catalogue and removed his author page from its website.
The situation may still change, so readers should check current news rather than older biographies, many of which still describe the HarperCollins relationship as ongoing.
How to Start Reading David Walliams
If you are new to his books, read them in publication order. A simple plan looks like this:
- Start with The Boy in the Dress to see where the writing career began.
- Read Gangsta Granny next, widely regarded as his funniest and warmest novel.
- Try Mr Stink for a shorter, gentler story about kindness and homelessness.
- Move on to Billionaire Boy and Demon Dentist for his most popular middle-grade adventures.
Reader Checklist: Getting the Facts Right
- Williams is the birth name; Walliams is the professional stage name.
- He was born on 20 August 1971, so he is 55 years old as of November 2026.
- His breakthrough was Little Britain with Matt Lucas, first on television in 2003.
- His first children’s book, The Boy in the Dress, was published in 2008.
- Reported book sales range from 37 million to more than 50 million copies worldwide, so treat any single figure as an estimate.
FAQs
Is David Williams the same person as David Walliams?
Yes. David Edward Williams is his birth name, and David Walliams is the stage name he adopted when he joined Equity, because another member was already registered under that name.
How old is David Williams?
He was born on 20 August 1971, which makes him 55 years old as of November 2026.
What is David Williams best known for?
He is best known for co-creating and starring in Little Britain with Matt Lucas, judging Britain’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2022, and writing bestselling children’s books such as Gangsta Granny and The Boy in the Dress.
How many books has he written?
He has written more than 40 children’s titles since 2008, including the core novels listed above and the World’s Worst Children short-story series. Reported worldwide sales range from 37 million to more than 50 million copies, depending on the source.
Why did he leave Britain’s Got Talent?
He left the show in 2022 after reports emerged about derogatory remarks he had made about contestants during recordings. The matter led to a legal dispute that was settled in 2023.
What happened with HarperCollins?
In December 2025, HarperCollins ended its publishing relationship with him after an internal investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviour towards junior female staff. He denies the allegations. Reports in 2026 said the publisher would no longer sell or reprint his older books.
Is he married?
He was married to Dutch model Lara Stone from 2010 to 2015, and they have a son together.
Conclusion
David Williams, known professionally as David Walliams, has had one of the most unusual careers in British entertainment: a sketch comedian who became a household television judge, and then a children’s author whose books sold tens of millions of copies around the world. He was born in Wimbledon in 1971, found fame with Matt Lucas on Little Britain, spent a decade on Britain’s Got Talent, and built a second career in children’s books that earned him comparisons to Roald Dahl and an OBE in 2017. His recent years have been more difficult, with the end of his judging role in 2022 and his HarperCollins publishing relationship in 2025. The best way to understand him is still to pick up Gangsta Granny or The Boy in the Dress and read them. For more celebrity biographies and entertainment guides, visit Sumo Search.
